About 50 million people worldwide currently suffer from dementia and that number is expected to triple by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
The world's population is aging, and factors that cause dementia such as inactivity, alcohol and drug use, and obesity are on the rise.
The WHO released its first guidelines for reducing risk for dementia through interventions such as increasing physical activity, reducing alcohol and tobacco use, and weight management.
The global cost of caring for dementia patients is projected to reach 2 trillion U.S. dollars annually by 2030.